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Teaching someone to write is a life long gift if it is done correctly. If one is not taught how to write effectively, it could hamper his or her communication for the rest of their life. In teaching someone to write, the first step is knowing the parts of speech. Diagraming sentences is an important tool to learn so the student knows what words are necessary to modify others. I don't know that this is taught in public school anymore, but it is an extremely helpful tool. Another strategy that works is brainstorming and teaching children how to organize their thoughts. Teachers should emphasize the who, what, when, where, and why questions. Planning a paper through brainstorming and outlining can be as important as the final product. This planning phase allows the student to gather their thoughts and "move ideas around" so the flow of the paper can be determined. This phase also helps the student organize and double check that all the components of the paper are addressed. Finally, the actual writing of the paper. If the student took their time through the planning stage of the process, this part will be much easier. As a teacher it is important to give honest feedback on content, as well as, mechanics of writing. Depending on the age of the student the depth of the criticisim varies. If the students are second graders, for example, the teacher should stress using as many describing words as possible. This allows the student to let the reader "see" and "feel" what the student is trying to portray. If the student is in middle or high school, the teacher should stress subject/verb agreement, tense agreement, and the use of 1st and 3rd person with content. These are skills that will help students become great proofreaders and writers. They will be able to offer criticism to their peers and personal criticism of their own writing to enhance each draft. What does work: I have learned that most people are taught to write in grammar school. They are taught the basic five paragraphs: the introduction paragraph, the three body paragraphs, and the summary. This teaches one how to write a basic paper. However, since taking this class I have learned that students need to be exposed to various types of writing. They also need to read as much as possible. I know this because I have three children who have gone through the elementary school system. There have been studies for years now that prove that the more students read, the better they will be able to write. I have also learned by reading my classmates blogs that it is important to have that one special teacher or sponsor that teaches them more than just the mechanics of writing. It is important to use good grammar when writing. This is why writing a basic MLS style paper is easy for me. I believe that students need to learn excellent grammar skills at a young age. I have seen many students enter the college level who do not know proper grammar. I have helped many of them write papers and wonder how they graduated from high school without the knowledge of writing a good essay. It is no wonder that they are struggling at a junior college. It is much harder to learn to write an essay using proper grammar and structure because they have been programmed to using their style for too many years without being taught properly. It becomes ingrained in these students. California public schools have writing assessments that teach students proper writing techniques. This is beneficial to students because they are taught how to write before taking these tests. Many weeks are spent in preparation for this writing assessment. The assessment is graded using district standards and returned back to the students and parents. The student is able to see where they need improvement. If the parents are involved in their child’s education, they can see the writing assessment and decide where their child needs to work. When children are exposed to such writing, they will be better writers for life. For me, returning to college has helped my writing skills immensely. I have had to opportunity to write papers that I have never written before. For this reason, I believe in continued education. I intend to educate myself for the rest of my life. I believe that I will become a better writer over the next few years. What doesn’t work: Many students can actually go one school year without learning anything about writing. There are many students who will tell you that they did not do any writing in so-and-so’s class. There are also students who are passed by and not taught when they have all the potential in the world. Students will not learn to write well when they are specifically told that they will not succeed. This is what happened to me. My creativity was stifled because I was told that I was retarded and dumb. Because of my personality and age, I have overcome this obstacle and proven them wrong. However, a person with a different personality than mine would not try ever again. As you can see, there are many ways to help students succeed in writing and few that would hinder their success. Lisa Webb What Works: Reading books stimulates the reader and provides different perspectives and styles of the written language. Reading broadens a student's vocabulary, words come to life and have meaning. It is an experience that fosters a students writing ability through osmosis. I read to my boys when they were young. They could not wait until bedtime to read a book that we had been working on. They are avid readers today. We not only read, but wrote our own childrens books, complete with illustrations. Reading has inspired my writing, as well as my boys. Students need the tools to dissect words, in order to read or write. The English language can be quite confusing. If these students learn this at a young age, it is most helpful as their classes become more complex. I worked at an elementary school for several years. One year our school decided to implement a new reading program. The entire staff got trained in this new program. We found each of the students reading level, by reading one on one with them, privately. We had group of 6 students and one staff member. We introduced the dissecting techniques to our groups. They learned about "pals", for example: ee, ea, ch, sh, and what they say. They learned about root words and the addition of prefixes and suffixes. Other rules that apply to long vowel sounds, etc. were also taught. Each student read, taking turns, every morning. They would decipher the words they did not know by using the steps of dissection. A chart at the front of the room provided a visual aid. This program was so successful. Teachers noticed an improvement in their classrooms, both in reading and writing. Doesn't Work: Critisim does not work. If a child gets discouraged, then they may give up. It is important to furnish a student with positive constructive instruction. I wrote a paper once in grade school. I was quite pleased. My teacher tore it apart, with a red pencil. I felt like I was such a bad writer. I think that if she had offered constructive and positive feedback, sensitive to my needs, I would have done better. I became disengaged. Luckily, I had a teacher a few years later that turned it around for me.She provided a learning environment that advanced my learning style and technique. I enjoyed writing, and her instruction suited me. Ellie Heiman